News Release Information
26-1493-PHI
Thursday, September 03, 2026
County Employment and Wages in the District of Columbia — First Quarter 2026
Employment declined 4.5 percent in the District of Columbia from March 2025 to March 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Lori Keller noted that the rate of employment growth in Washington ranked 370th among the 371 largest U.S. counties with published data. Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2025. Employment in the District of Columbia stood at 715,800 in March 2026, as measured by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program.
Large county average weekly wages in the first quarter 2026The average weekly wage in Washington increased 4.5 percent over the year to $2,725. The national average was $1,654, up 3.9 percent over the year. Washington’s weekly wage ranked 10th nationally, and the percent change ranked 93rd among the largest U.S. counties.
Additional statistics and other informationQCEW data for all states have been included in this release in table 2.
Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The County Employment and Wages release for the second quarter 2026 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 2, 2026.
County Changes for the 2026 County Employment and Wages News Releases
Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2025 are included in this release and will be included in future 2026 releases. Five counties have been added to the publication tables: Kenton, KY; Union, NC; Licking, OH; Gregg, TX; and Kenosha, WI. One county has been dropped from the publication tables: Wood, OH.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the largest county in District of Columbia, first quarter 2026| Area | Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands) | Employment | Average weekly wage |
|---|
March 2026
(thousands) | Percent change,
March
2025–26 | National ranking
by percent change | First quarter
2026 ($) | National ranking
by level | Percent change,
first quarter
2025–26 | National ranking
by percent change |
|---|
United States | 12,381.8 | 154,771.9 | 0.1 | -- | 1,654 | -- | 3.9 | -- |
|---|
District of Columbia | 51.4 | 715.8 | -4.5 | -- | 2,725 | 1 | 4.5 | 10 |
|---|
Washington | 51.4 | 715.7 | -4.5 | 370 | 2,725 | 10 | 4.5 | 93 |
|---|
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. |
Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, first quarter 2026| State | Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands) | Employment | Average weekly wage |
|---|
March 2026
(thousands) | Percent change,
March
2025–26 | First quarter
2026 ($) | National ranking
by level | Percent change,
first quarter
2025–26 | National ranking
by percent change |
|---|
United States | 12,381.8 | 154,771.9 | 0.1 | 1,654 | -- | 3.9 | -- |
|---|
Alabama | 168.7 | 2,121.2 | 0.7 | 1,292 | 38 | 3.6 | 28 |
|---|
Alaska | 25.4 | 320.1 | -1.3 | 1,519 | 18 | 4.8 | 6 |
|---|
Arizona | 227.8 | 3,249.1 | -0.6 | 1,495 | 21 | 4.5 | 10 |
|---|
Arkansas | 109.4 | 1,305.2 | -0.1 | 1,291 | 39 | 4.6 | 8 |
|---|
California | 1,990.7 | 18,211.8 | 0.9 | 1,986 | 6 | 2.7 | 44 |
|---|
Colorado | 264.7 | 2,848.5 | -0.7 | 1,774 | 8 | 5.4 | 4 |
|---|
Connecticut | 150.0 | 1,668.2 | -0.4 | 2,080 | 4 | 5.2 | 5 |
|---|
Delaware | 47.1 | 473.6 | -0.3 | 1,606 | 15 | 3.1 | 39 |
|---|
District of Columbia | 51.4 | 715.8 | -4.5 | 2,725 | 1 | 4.5 | 10 |
|---|
Florida | 894.1 | 9,962.8 | 0.0 | 1,518 | 19 | 4.3 | 13 |
|---|
Georgia | 397.4 | 4,865.2 | 0.0 | 1,539 | 17 | 3.3 | 34 |
|---|
Hawaii | 64.6 | 643.9 | -0.3 | 1,387 | 29 | 1.7 | 51 |
|---|
Idaho | 100.8 | 867.9 | 1.9 | 1,254 | 44 | 6.2 | 2 |
|---|
Illinois | 389.4 | 5,992.4 | 0.0 | 1,731 | 9 | 4.1 | 16 |
|---|
Indiana | 197.7 | 3,160.7 | -0.1 | 1,356 | 30 | 2.7 | 44 |
|---|
Iowa | 110.8 | 1,537.5 | -0.1 | 1,301 | 36 | 3.9 | 22 |
|---|
Kansas | 102.2 | 1,425.3 | 0.0 | 1,286 | 41 | 3.1 | 39 |
|---|
Kentucky | 163.0 | 1,979.1 | -0.4 | 1,248 | 45 | 2.9 | 43 |
|---|
Louisiana | 159.6 | 1,917.2 | -0.5 | 1,274 | 42 | 4.0 | 17 |
|---|
Maine | 67.5 | 629.1 | -0.5 | 1,327 | 34 | 3.5 | 30 |
|---|
Maryland | 201.1 | 2,700.3 | -1.7 | 1,676 | 10 | 2.7 | 44 |
|---|
Massachusetts | 296.4 | 3,552.9 | -0.9 | 2,201 | 3 | 4.8 | 6 |
|---|
Michigan | 312.6 | 4,357.5 | 0.3 | 1,445 | 24 | 3.9 | 22 |
|---|
Minnesota | 213.9 | 2,878.1 | -0.3 | 1,630 | 14 | 3.8 | 24 |
|---|
Mississippi | 93.3 | 1,162.9 | -0.2 | 1,051 | 51 | 3.3 | 34 |
|---|
Missouri | 263.5 | 2,890.5 | 0.1 | 1,354 | 31 | 3.4 | 32 |
|---|
Montana | 63.2 | 506.6 | 0.6 | 1,229 | 48 | 3.5 | 30 |
|---|
Nebraska | 78.9 | 1,008.2 | -0.1 | 1,274 | 42 | 3.7 | 26 |
|---|
Nevada | 112.8 | 1,575.7 | 2.0 | 1,391 | 28 | 2.1 | 50 |
|---|
New Hampshire | 66.1 | 675.0 | -1.2 | 1,656 | 12 | 3.0 | 41 |
|---|
New Jersey | 343.4 | 4,247.8 | 0.0 | 1,879 | 7 | 3.3 | 34 |
|---|
New Mexico | 67.1 | 867.4 | -0.4 | 1,235 | 46 | 2.7 | 44 |
|---|
New York | 710.5 | 9,743.6 | -0.3 | 2,363 | 2 | 6.5 | 1 |
|---|
North Carolina | 375.3 | 4,942.7 | 0.8 | 1,515 | 20 | 3.3 | 34 |
|---|
North Dakota | 36.9 | 420.7 | -0.5 | 1,333 | 33 | 2.4 | 49 |
|---|
Ohio | 344.6 | 5,458.3 | -0.2 | 1,417 | 26 | 4.0 | 17 |
|---|
Oklahoma | 130.2 | 1,700.6 | 0.0 | 1,235 | 46 | 3.6 | 28 |
|---|
Oregon | 173.5 | 1,952.3 | -1.3 | 1,481 | 23 | 4.6 | 8 |
|---|
Pennsylvania | 394.1 | 6,002.1 | -0.1 | 1,550 | 16 | 3.3 | 34 |
|---|
Rhode Island | 49.1 | 486.9 | -0.6 | 1,487 | 22 | 4.2 | 14 |
|---|
South Carolina | 193.1 | 2,326.6 | 0.7 | 1,296 | 37 | 4.0 | 17 |
|---|
South Dakota | 41.1 | 451.7 | 0.2 | 1,211 | 49 | 4.2 | 14 |
|---|
Tennessee | 228.1 | 3,254.1 | -0.2 | 1,426 | 25 | 4.4 | 12 |
|---|
Texas | 868.8 | 14,124.6 | 0.6 | 1,646 | 13 | 3.8 | 24 |
|---|
Utah | 140.6 | 1,737.8 | 0.9 | 1,415 | 27 | 4.0 | 17 |
|---|
Vermont | 33.4 | 304.2 | -1.0 | 1,322 | 35 | 3.0 | 41 |
|---|
Virginia | 324.8 | 4,118.7 | -0.2 | 1,665 | 11 | 4.0 | 17 |
|---|
Washington | 240.6 | 3,558.6 | -0.2 | 1,998 | 5 | 2.7 | 44 |
|---|
West Virginia | 63.0 | 693.3 | -0.4 | 1,188 | 50 | 3.4 | 32 |
|---|
Wisconsin | 208.0 | 2,902.6 | 0.0 | 1,353 | 32 | 3.7 | 26 |
|---|
Wyoming | 31.8 | 275.2 | -0.1 | 1,287 | 40 | 5.8 | 3 |
|---|
Puerto Rico | 52.9 | 944.5 | -0.8 | 724 | | 3.4 | |
|---|
Virgin Islands | 2.9 | 34.9 | 1.2 | 1,054 | | 1.5 | |
|---|
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. |
Last Modified Date: Thursday, September 03, 2026
United States Department of Labor
